How Google Uses the Insights Engine to Help Set Big Goals

Google used the Insights Engine to inform ambitious goals around food waste reduction and diversion in their own foodservice operations. First, they used the Solutions Database to identify about 20 solutions to consider and conducted an analysis using ReFED’s data to model estimated impacts on waste generation and diversion from landfill. They also used ReFED’s Impact Calculator to estimate the climate and water impacts of their selected solutions. The results were a jumping off point for them to create an implementation plan around the solutions that were most feasible in the short term, and develop a longer-term innovation strategy to unlock solutions that would require collaboration outside of Google. In the end, this analysis gave them the confidence to announce a public commitment to cut food waste in half per Googler and send zero waste to landfill, all by 2025.

ReFED launched its Insights Engine and accompanying Roadmap to 2030 in early 2021 with the goal of providing a robust suite of resources that stakeholders throughout the food system can use to inform their food waste reduction efforts. Following the launch, we have received feedback from hundreds of individuals and entities citing examples of the tools’ usefulness and impact.